Travel-recorder for vehicles



H. SATTLER.

TRAVEL RECORDER FOR VEHICLES- E APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1919.

Patgnted May 10, 1921.

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UNITED STATES ms surname, or sunscreen, WISCONSIN.

maven-anemone FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 26, 1919. Serial No. 289,844.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I Hans SATTLER, a citizen of the United tates, and resident of 'Sheboygan, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Travel- Recorders for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description therenf.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for recording v1- brations or oscillations of a stylus member incidental to travel of a vehicle to which the device is attached, such device being more particularly of the tfype shown in my copendin application or patent filed Oct. 2, 1918, erial No. 256,614, wherein there 1s provided a rotatable record platewhich carries a gear meshing with the drive gear of a clock mechanism for rotating the plate.

I have found that it is practically impossible to procure by themutual engagement of the teeth such meshing of the gears as to prevent lost motion or looseness between the teeth of the gears and in the vibrations set up incidental to travel of the vehicle to which the device is attached, and jarring movement of the plate occurs in travel which materially impairs the record efiected by oscillations of the stylus member of the device.

It is therefore primarily the object of my invention to providev an arrangement for driving the record plate which affords a' more positive control of movement of the record plate, whereby independent oscillations of the plate are prevented, and it is more particularly my object to effect this result by providing a spring tension between the gear of the plate and the gear of the .clock mechanism which will prevent looseness or lost motion between the gears but which will not interfere with the actuation of the clock mechanism.

A more detailed object resides in the provision of an arrangement including a gear tension spring which is so associated with the clock mechanism and record plate that it is wound incidental to the necessa windings of the clock mechanism, Where y said spring is at all times malntained under proper tension to prevent lost motion between the gears.

A still further object is to embody the foregoing teatures in the general structure of my said co-pending application in a most economical, efiicient and durable manner.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, my invention resides more particularly in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and defined by the ap ended claims. A

n the accompanying drawings:

Flgure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in elevation of the clock mechanism and-record plate unit of a vibration recorder, having associated therewith one embodiment of my improved means for preventing lost motion between the gears of the clock mechanism and record plate.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the record plate, the clock unit being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 1, but showing another embodiment of my invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it is seen that I have employed the general record plate and clock mechanlsm unit shown in my said co-pending application for patent and comprising clock mechanism disposed in a casing 5 which is secured to a carrying plate 6 adapted to be mounted within a suitable casing. A journal member 7 extends from the side of the plate 6 opposite the clock casing 5 and carries the hub 8 of a record plate 9 to which may be secured a suitable dial or sheet on which is marked the oscillations of a suitable stylus (not shown), the hub being retained on the journal 7 by a nut 10. The inner. end of the hub has secured thereon a gear ring 11 meshing with a gear 12 carried by the plate 6 and connected with the winding shaft of the clock mechanism (not shown), to be driven therefrom, as is' shown in detail in my said co-pending application for patent. Objectionable lost motion has heretofore occurred between these gear members 11 and 12 and it is noted that by reason of the relatively great diameter of the record disk which would be secured to the plate 9, this motion would be magnified to such extent Patented May 10, 1921.

at the peripheral markin portion of the dial' so as to materially inter ere with the record procured, if not entirely destroylng the record.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for preventing this lost motion, the inner end portion of: the record plate hub 8 is countersunk to provide an annular chamber 13 surrounding the journal 7 and a helical spring 14: is coiled within this chamber having one end secured to a stop 15 on the journal and having lts other end secured to a stop 16 on the hub. As indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the clock mechanism drives'the record plate 9 in a clockwise direction, and the spring also urges the disk in a clockwlse direction. Thus, positive engagement of the teeth of the gear members 11 and 12 1s procured at all times andvibratory independent movement of the record plate incidental to lost motion between the gear teeth is prevented. I The energy of the spring l i is expended as the record plate rotates, it being noted that instead of utilizing the gear 12 to rotate the record plate, said gear now merely permits rotation of the record plate at the proper rate of movement, and inasmuch as the spring 14 does not work contrary to the clock mechanism, this action will not ma- "ter ially afi'ect. the accuracy of the clock mechanism. 4 I

Inasmuch as the gear 12 is connected with the winding shaft of the clock mechanism, the clock mechanism may be wound by grasping the record plate 9 and rotating thesame in a counter clockwise direction, and this rotation at the same time .restores the tension of the spring 14, thus always maintaining the spring under proper tension.

In Fig. 3, I show another form of my invention wherein the spring chamber 13 of the record plate 8 is eliminated and a gear ring 17 is secured to the record plate concentric with its hub 8, the teeth of this gear ring meshing with teeth formed on the periphery of a spring housing 18 which is journaled on a stud 19 carried by the main plate 6 and by a bracket arm 20 secured to said plate. A spring 21 is coiled within this housing, having its inner and outer ends respectively secured to the stud and to the periphery of the housing. The operation of this modified structure is similar to the operation heretofore described, the spring 21 being' tensio-ned upon winding the clock mechanism.

While I have showna gear tooth conne tion between the ring 17 and gear casing 18, it is obvious that a band connection may be employed if desired, also that various other changes and modifications of structhe appended claims, without departing in any manner from the spirit of my lnventlon, which resides cssentiallyin the provision of means for preventing lost motion between the drive gears of the record plate.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a clock mechanism, a rota-' table record carrying member, a gear annu-v lus carried by said member and meshing with the drive gear of the clock mechanism, and a pring connected with said record carrying member for urging said record carrying member inthe meshing direction of rotation of said drive gear, retrograde rotation of saidrecord carrying member serving to tension said spring and simultaneously rewind the spring of the clock mechamsm.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a clock mechanism including a drive gear, a rotatable record carrying member, a gear annulus on said record carrying member having its teeth in mesh with the teeth of the drive gear, a ring on the record carrying member concentric with its axis of rotation, a rotatable housing, a spring within said housing urging it to rotate, and a drive connection between the ring and the'housing.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a clock mechanism including a drive gear, a rotatable record carrying member, a gear annulus on said record carrying member having its teeth in mesh with the teeth of the drive gear, a ring onthe record carrying member concentric with its axis of rotation, a rotatable housing, a spring within said housing urging it to rotate, and intermeshing gear teeth on the ring and on the periphery of the'h ousing.

4:. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main carrying plate, a journal member projecting from the plate, a

clock mechanism carried by the plate and axis of rotation, and a drive connection be tween said ring and the housing.

5. In a device of the class described,the combination of a main carrying plate, a journal member projecting from the plate, a clock mechanism carried by the plate and including a drive gear on the face of the I plate adjacent the journal member, a housture may be employed within the scope ofeemg rotatably mounted on said face of the main plate, a spring in said housing urging said housing to rotate, a record carrying member rotatably mounted on said journal member, a gear annulus on said record carr ing member having its teeth in mesh with t e teeth of said drive gear,-a gear ring on the record carrying member concentric with its axis of rotation and an annular series of gear teeth on the periphery of the housing meshingwith the teeth of said gear ring; 10

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Sheboygan,

in the county of Sheboygan, and State of Wisconsin.

HANS SATTLER. 

